Friday, February 23, 2007

When I read this tragic tale the other day of a toddler dying after getting caught in a power window, the nihilist cells in my brain predicted advocacy groups would use this freak accident to justify their lobby efforts for yet more safety regulations. I sniffed correctly:

(CBC) The death of a Calgary toddler only underlines the need for car manufacturers to make power windows safer, says the founder of a U.S. advocacy group.

"The car manufacturers know how dangerous these power windows can be and really haven't done their job in trying to make them safer for children," said Janette Fennell, the founder of Kansas-based Kids and Cars.

Power windows, such as this one, should automatically reverse if something gets in the way, says Janette Fennell, the founder of Kansas-based Kids and Cars.

The non-profit group has been fighting for years to make it mandatory for car manufacturers to offer power windows that automatically reverse if something gets in the way.

[..] As part of its lobbying effort, Kids and Cars has a TV advertisement that shows a power window cutting right through vegetables.

Unlike Fenris, Kids and Cars does not accept Canadian Tire money, but they do accept all major credit cards in return for public awareness propaganda.

No matter how many regulations you pile onto the heap, children are going to have fatal accidents and people are going to die. While a parent might choose to purchase a vehicle with power window safety features, or no power windows at all, the surest way to prevent such deaths is to refrain from leaving your young children unattended in the car. I am not suggesting the mother should be charged, as she has already suffered the extreme penalty of losing her daughter, but I do note that public awareness campaigns and increased legislation are no substitutes for common sense.